The Top 9 Bros in the Business World

What is a bro? I ask myself this daily. At its core, a “bro” is just another label. To some, it’s a proudly worn badge of honor.  To others, it is a derogatory term.  Some define a bro by what Hollywood seems to think a bro is—upside down visor, popped collar polo, puka shell necklace, tribal tattoo.

But this erroneous Hollywood depiction was created by someone without the slightest idea of what or who a bro really is. Sure, bros are known to be a little rowdy.  They may indulge with libations a little too much.  They definitely like to work out and get yoked. They may have even been a proud member of a college fraternity.

But bros are so much more than that.  Today, bros can be doctors, lawyers, firemen, fathers, and sons.

I am a writer, actor, improvisor, DJ, brother, son....and you guessed it....a bro, as well.
I am Bro, Hear me roar!

As a bro myself, I believe that broscism is something that needs to be put to an end.  Thanks to sites like Brobible and movies like I Love You, Man, bros no longer need to be ashamed by who they are. Bros are nothing new; they’ve been around since the cavemen. Inventor of the wheel?  Total bro.  Founding fathers? You better believe they’re bro legends. Astronauts like Neil Armstrong and John Glenn are two people I would consider to be bro pioneers.

As a young bro in the startup world, I look up to successful bros for inspiration. So without further ado, I present to you my top 9 bros in the business world.  Please note I was limited to only 9 (if I was given free range, this list would be much longer). 

1. Doug Banker: Founder, CEO BroBible.com
   Not only has this bro created a fantastic news website for bros across the nation, he also is a managing partner for BroBible production company Five all in the Fifth Entertainment, and is also a managing partner for Liquid Flow Clothing. The brand of shorts and apparel is known for its hybrid quick-drying fabric that can go from the water to the bar with no problem.
2. Tom Montgomery, Preston Rutherford, Rainer Castillio and Kyle Hency, The Chubsters
   These four Stanford grads and best friends founded the radical shorts company known as Chubbies out of their distain of pants. Tasked with the mission of eradicating cargo shorts all together, the team proclaims its mantra with a battle cry of “Sky’s out, thighs out!” Their crusade against thighpression is proving to be a successful one. This quickly-growing apparel startup can barely keep up with demand.
3. Andy Dunn & Brian Spaly Founders, Bonobos
   The last clothing-minded bros on the list, also hailing from Stanford, created top online retailer for men, Bonobos. Bonobos started out of necessity when co-founder Spaly grew increasingly frustrated to find pants that fit him well. Like any bro, he took matters into his own hands. Armed with a borrowed sewing machine from his girlfriend, Spaly altered and created pants that worked for him. His fellow bros quickly took notice. Dunn joined Spaly and the two moved their operation to Manhattan. Since then, Bonobos has expanded its line from just pants to a wide range of clothing options with one goal in mind: to make men look good.
4. Tyler Prochnow: Founding partner, Think Big Partners
   This list would not be complete without Think Big Partners’ own Tyler Prochnow—and he has more than enough credentials. Prochnow started out as lawyer and morphed into (what I’m assuming came from) the inspiration for the film Jerry Maguire. As founder and president of Gold Peak Sports & Entertainment, Prochnow represented such esteemed clients like Deion Sanders and gold medal Olympian Amy Van Dyken. If that isn’t enough, he also was the founder & first owner of Kansas City’s Arena Football team. And the final brodential—he can pull off a visor, Just look at that sick flow-Just look at it!
   
   
5. Bill Gates: Co-founder, Microsoft
   A bromanitarian and technology guru, Gates has faced brosecution in the past due to questionable business tactics (and possibly for being a little too nerdy). But with a 14-year run at the top of the Forbes list as the richest man alive, those accusations can be easily put behind him. Gates is also ranked by Forbes as the 5th most powerful man in the world. Even though Kanye has said no one man should have all that power, Gates has shown that he will use it all for good through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
6. Warren Buffett Chairman & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway
   Quite possibly the most modest broillionaire on the list, Buffett has countless ways to make money and, as it seems, just as many ways to give it away. Among his many nicknames, the one that seems to stand out the most is The Billionaire Next Door. Why? Buffett is known for living in the same house in Omaha, Nebraska that he bought in 1957. That proves that you don’t need a mansion to be brotastic.
    
7. Mark Zuckerberg Founder, Facebook.com
   What started as a programming hobby when he was a boy has since grown into the most visited website in the world. Despite being a Harvard dropout, Zuck he been able to make a nice little $12 billion living for himself. Facing broversity due to color blindness, Zuck makes things work by using blue more than red and green in true bro fashion. And wouldn’t ya know it? Tyler Prochnow also suffers from the same color blindness impairment. Bros unite!
8. Richard Branson Founder, Virgin Group
   That’s Sir Richard Branson to you and me! Branson started his first business venture when he was 16 and never looked back. With over 400 companies under his Virgin Brand, the $4.2 billion dollar bro is no stranger to adventure. Holder of the world record for fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle, he is also a humanitarian (after all, bros love to give back!). When Branson wants to take a break, he doesn’t go to Palm Springs. Instead, he prefers his own private island known as Necker Island. Oh yeah, did I mention he goes to space whenever he pleases?
9. Mark Cuban Owner, Dallas Mavericks
   I could list all the ways Cuban is the ultimate bro...but we don’t have all day. Mark Cuban is a true bro’s bro. Like Branson, Cuban owns an array of companies. Branson may have sharks swimming near his island but Cuban is a shark and can be seen on the the ABC hit Shark Tank where he puts his own money on the line investing in startups for the world to see, true display of brojones. A champion on the NBA court, Cuban is never afraid to voice his opinion on important issues like the US’s corrupt patent system, the economy, or the full court press. He’s a movie star in his own right, as he played a pivotal role (himself) on the HBO hit Entourage. All of his broness can be summed up with one photo:  

Abroham Lincoln.  Teddy Brosevelt.  Brohammed Ali.  Bro Montana.  The list truly goes on and on.  To all of the brotein shake-drinking, brotato chip-eating, brotastic entrebroneurs out there, thanks for doing what you do best and for inspiring other bros out there, like me, every day.      

From Selling Christmas Trees to Hot Air Ballooning: 4 Lessons We Learned from Richard Branson

STOP 1 of the bizperc walking tour: Richard Branson Autograph 

When you walk out of the elevator and onto the 4^th floor of bizperc for the first time, you may notice the breath-taking view of downtown Kansas City.  You may notice the lime green stools that stand out behind the coffee bar.  You may even notice The Pursuit of Happyness or The Social Network playing on the big screen TV.  Or perhaps you’ll notice Richard Branson’s autograph, which is mounted prominently on the bizperc wall—right when you walk in.

Why is this autograph the first thing that we want entrepreneurs in our coworking space to see first?  There are many reasons.  But we’ll narrow down the top 4 for you.

Richard Branson defines the Think Big message.  He takes advantage of every opportunity thrown at him, he goes with his gut, he has fun and he thinks big, fast and young.  These four characteristics are the four that we try to implement in our bizperc coworking space, in our Think Big Partners mission and vision and within the entrepreneurs that we work with every day.

We display Richard Branson’s book cover, autograph and list of quotes because he upholds four characteristics that we cannot help but agree with.

Take advantage of every opportunity

From when he was 9 years old and started selling Christmas trees to his launch of Virgin Airlines and other Virgin companies throughout the world, Richard Branson has been seizing opportunities his entire life.  Mr. Branson himself may have said it best in his book Screw It, Let’s Do It, “If you recognize something is a good idea, or if there’s something in your personal life that you want to do but aren’t immediately sure how to achieve your goal, I don’t believe that the little word ‘can’t’ should stop you."

Go with your gut

In 1973, Richard Branson heard the music of Tubular Bells for the first time.  But nobody else seemed to like the music as much as he did.  Time after time, record companies turned Tubular Bells down.  But Branson had a good feeling about the band, so he decided to go with his gut.  He asked John Peel, host of a popular radio show to play the entire Tubular Bells album on the show.  After it aired, sales took off.  Tubular Bells became the soundtrack for The Exorcist.  But most importantly, Tubular Bells put Virgin Music on the map overnight.  Branson went with his gut, and when he did, magic seemed to happen.

Have fun

“I have no secret,” says Branson. “There are no rules to follow in business.  I just work hard, and as I always have done, believe that I can do it.  Most of all though, I try to have fun.”  Branson sincerely believes that work should be tempered by fun.  He thinks that fun refreshes people—it’s stimulating and vital on both physical and spiritual levels.  “Knowing how to laugh and love and appreciate each other is what life is all about,” he says.  Branson has been having fun his entire life.  From hot air ballooning across the globe to spending time with the family he loves, Branson’s life may be full of business, but most importantly, it’s full of enjoyment.  “Fun is at the core of the way I do business,” he says.  “It has been the key to everything from the start and I see no reason to change it."

Think fast, think young, think big

Much like us, Richard Branson thinks big.  But he also thinks fast and he thinks young.  These three ways of thinking are exactly what Think Big’s and bizperc’s core strategies are all about

Think fast: Richard Branson knows how to operate in a fast-moving world.  As he states in his book, Screw It, Let’s Do It: “Efficiency is fine, but things move so fast in the modern world that it’s better to be innovative, fresh, and original than lose the spark over routine or nitpicking ways.  The world is changing.  Ideas and opportunities are expanding fast.  Sometimes, your ideas don’t take off.  Even after careful research, not all ideas are good; sometimes your competitors have better ideas or they’re faster than you.  The modern entrepreneur takes failure in his or her stride and moves on."

Think young: Branson believes that no matter how old you are, you still have the ability to think young.  He believes that a fresh and youthful approach in everything, from business to lifestyle, will renew and re-energize.  In order to foster this “think young” mentality, Branson established the Branson School of Entrepreneurship at CIDA (Africa’s first free university).  All tuition is directed toward enabling young people to launch their own business.  Current stats?  In 2008, the program had 300 students incubating over 30 businesses. 

Think big: What may be our biggest reason that we love Richard Branson is that he thinks big.  With as much success as this man has, he cannot help but continue to be a big thinker throughout the rest of his life.  “Everyone needs to keep learning,” he says. “Everyone needs goals.  Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it.  Go ahead, take that first step—just do it.”

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig